A 19-year-old Fair Lawn man who originally reported to police that he was slashed in the abdomen by a panhandler Tuesday night has been arrested and charged with providing a false statement, authorities said.

Nicholas Conklin accidentally slashed himself with his own knife, police said in a press release, but told authorities that he was assaulted with a “knife-like object” in the rear parking lot of Walgreens on River Road around 10:14 p.m. by a man wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt and jeans asking for money.

Fair Lawn Police Det. Karen Censullo and Det. Lt. Michael Uttel determined Conklin had never parked near the Walgreens during the time Conklin had said the incident had occurred, the release said.

Conklin slashed himself while sitting in his parked vehicle in front of an Elmwood Park residence, the release said, and when he returned home, he told his parents he had been robbed. His parents called police.

Conklin was charged with providing a false statement to police and released.

A 19-year-old Fair Lawn man who originally reported to police that he was slashed in the abdomen by a panhandler Tuesday night has been arrested and charged with providing a false statement, authorities said.

Nicholas Conklin accidentally slashed himself with his own knife, police said in a press release, but told authorities that he was assaulted with a “knife-like object” in the rear parking lot of Walgreens on River Road around 10:14 p.m. by a man wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt and jeans asking for money.

Fair Lawn Police Det. Karen Censullo and Det. Lt. Michael Uttel determined Conklin had never parked near the Walgreens during the time Conklin had said the incident had occurred, the release said.

Conklin slashed himself while sitting in his parked vehicle in front of an Elmwood Park residence, the release said, and when he returned home, he told his parents he had been robbed. His parents called police.

Conklin was charged with providing a false statement to police and released.